“Razor”

When I first started watching BSG, the first episode I had watched, was “Black Market”, Season 2, Episode 14. So on my first go around I was about four episodes too late to see what ultimately became my favorite episode thus far, “Pegasus” and it’s surrounding arc. Therefore, when I first heard about Razor, I was pretty indifferent. I tivoed it, but I was much more interested in what was going on going forward rather than looking back so it sat for a bit. When I watched it the first time, I enjoyed it and thought while complex, was very good.

So when I sat down for this project and watched through I got to the Pegasus arc and it all made a bit more sense. So I was really looking forward to watching Razor again, with all the foreknowledge. I enjoyed it much more.

While the many flashbacks within flashbacks and jumping around to several different time periods might be offsetting for some, especially those who are only casual fans, Razor is a very rewarding return to exploring characters. Some of which may be dead and gone, but that doesn’t lessen the impact of their stories. In particular one of the most interesting things about the Pegasus arc was the stark difference between how the two battlestars had reacted to the attack, and how stone cold the Pegasus had become. Seeing their story was very informative and rewarding, even if there were a few moments of incredulity. Seeing the extended version as I did the second time, was even more informative.

The main story takes place somewhere between “The Captain’s Hand” but before “Lay Your Burdens”, during Apollo’s first days as commanding officer of Pegasus. The main character of the story is Lt. Kendra Shaw, a hardnosed iron woman, self described as Cain’s legacy. After Cain’s death, new commander Fisk demoted her. After Fisk’s death, new commander Garner demoted her again, both due to insubordination. She tells Apollo that this happened because neither of the men were worthy of her respect. Apollo sees that Cain had given her the highest of marks though. So he takes the risk and promotes her to his XO.

We get to see how she first boarded the Pegasus, less than an hour before the Cylon attack on the colonies. The first person that talks to her is Gina, later revealed to be a Cylon, pointing the way. Later on Gina is revealed to have a close relationship with Gina, which makes what happens later, a little more understandable. Cain dresses her down as a newb, joking around with her staff after she leaves, in a scene that coupled with a previous scene about her and her XO discussing shore leave plan, reveals how friendly she is wither staff. During the attack Cain finds Shaw, and gets her to her feet. In the CIC, Cain orders her to make a blind jump before nukes hit them. She protests but then follows her orders.

Pegasus does some recon work to find out that the Colonies are destroyed and that as far as can be told, they are the last bastion of humanity. Cain delivers a rousing speech of revenge, to which the ship call out the usual, “So say we all!”

Adama and Apollo watch as Kendra lays into recruits. Adama jokes that he thought Tigh was tough. Apollo is given his frist meission as a commander. A science team was sent to check out a supernova nearby, when they were lost. Apollo is to search and rescue.

When they arrive, antiquated Cylon Raiders from the first war appear and attack Pegasus, and in a nice nod to the original series, we get to hear the Cylon metallic, “By Your Command” Starbuck and her wing try to make it back to the Pegasus, though Shaw decides that the Battlestar is more important sending out salvos of fire. Starbuck calls her out on it later on to which Shaw steps up and tells Starbuck that defying authority is a risky proposition onboard Pegasus, which leads us to another flashback.

The Pegasus found a staging area that seemed weakly fortified and appeared to be the perfect target for their small fleet. Upon arrival and launching of a squadron of Vipers though, a fleet of Cylons jumps in and then furthermore compromises their weapons systems. Instead of turning and running, Cain orders them to launch all Vipers and set guns to manual. Cain’s XO, Colonel Jurgen Belzen tried to reason with Cain saying how much it would cost. Cain got defiant and asked if he was refusing orders. When he told her that he could not in good conscience issue those orders, Cain takes his sidearm and shoots him in the head, immediately promoting Fisk to XO. Okay this is a little much. You realize the scene is coming as it was revealed back in season two in a conversation between Fisk and Tigh. And yes, you can almost believe that Cain is cold enough, but really? Her friend, in the middle of the CIC. It’s not above her to make an example of him, but in reality wouldn’t it have served just as well to remove him from his position and send him to the brig or something. The death is shocking…a little too shocking.

During this battle, the Centurions board the Pegasus with help from Gina, and Shaw discovers it. She races to the CIC and orders the guards to detain Gina to the shock of Cain. Shaw pumps in the security feed where a dead Six lay. Cain is disgusted and has Gina escorted off the bridge.

As Sharon sees the destroyed antiquated reaiders, she informs the crew of Cylon lore about the First Hybrid and how it was supposedly still alive and being protected by the relics of the Cylon fleet. This sparks another flashback. This time to Admiral Adama’s time during the end of the last Cylon war. We saw much of this sequence in the Razor Flashbacks. The gist though, is that Adama had been in the laboratory when they were creating the first Hybrid.

Major Shaw designs a plan to use the Pegasus to find the basestar and lure the Cylon Raiders away from it. At that point Shaw would lead a rescue team with Starbuck and a nuclear warhead to destroy the facility after they rescue the scientists.

In another scene from Pegasus, we discover the crucial turning point of Kendra Shaw’s life. The Pegasus meets up with a civilian fleet. Cain orders the cannibalization of the fleet. They are to take all supplies and useful people, and leave the rest without FTL drives floating in space. It’s a tough order and she makes Fisk/Shaw carry it out. When a near riot breaks out on the Scylla it turns into a bloodbath as the marines have to shoot into the crowd to keep them under control. Meanwhile Cain watches as her former lover, Gina is raped and tortured.

Cain’s story is well done as we see what happened to bring her to what she becomes. In the last days of the first Cylon war, she leaves her sister behind while the Cylons raid, and loses her causing her to cut emotions. Sometimes you must leave people behind to fight another day.

The Cylon hybrid on the basestar can speak much more coherently than the ones we’ve seen before. We hear a few key phrases.

“All this has happened before, and will happen again.”

Even more importantly, the hybrid also makes a far more elaborate pronouncement:

“Soon there will be four, glorious in awakening, struggling with the knowledge of their true selves, the pain of that revelation, bringing true clarity. And amidst confusion, he will find her… Enemies brought together by the apostle, enemies now joined as one. The way forward, once impenetrable, yet inevitable. And the fifth, though still in the shadow yet clawing for the light, hungry for redemption, that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering. I can see them all, the seven, now six self-described machines who believe themselves without sin. But in time, it is sin that will consume them. They will know enmity, bitterness, the wrenching, the agony of the one splintering into many. And then they will join in the promised land, gathered on the wings of an angel. Not an end, but a beginning.”

It’s a great look ahead to season four, vague enough to be difficult, but revealing enough to garner excitement.

They find the science team but have to come face to face with a centurion squad and their nuclear warhead detonator is damaged. They will not be able to detonate remotely. One will have to stay behind. During this battle Kendra is hit and although Starbuck gets the orders to set it off, Kendra forces her away at gunpoint, taking the nuke with her. She comes face to face with the Hybird, who offers her absolution.

It is finally revealed, unsurprisingly, that Kendra fired the first shot in the massacre aboard the Scylla. It is a moment that has colored her since, and has led her to this moment.

During these last moments, the hybrid grabs her arm and gives the ominous warning:

“Kara Thrace will lead the human race to its end. She is the herald of the apocalypse, the harbinger of death. They must not follow her.”

Shaw tries to get this information to the Pegasus, but the communications become jammed. She sets off the nuke destroying the basestar.

On Galactica, Admiral Adama goes over Cain’s legacy with Apollo and suggests a commendation for Kendra. Apollo is not pleased, saying that they killed civillians. In a frank conversation, Adama says that he too could have been Cain if it wasn’t for the people that surrounded him. He had Roslin, the president to help him, he had Tigh to keep him honest, and most importantly he knew that he had to look in Apollo’s eyes on a daily basis and he always sees himself reflected in his son’s eyes. He couldn’t condemn Cain and Shaw and thought of it as learning. It’s a great moment for Admiral Adama and you see the strength behind the man. Well done.

Overall, the time spent on Razor was well spent. It is a great look into some very interesting characters and while there was little movement in the overall story arc, in no ways it is missing. If the post series films are like this, than we are in for a treat.

A-

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